


My Omen

by conniptionns



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 17:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conniptionns/pseuds/conniptionns
Summary: prompt: andreil beach tripalternatively: the art of classical conditioning and the task of breaking a conditioned response





	My Omen

classical conditioning theory is the linking of two stimuli to produced a learned response through the process of association. there are three stages of classical conditioning.

the first stage, or before conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus creates an unconditioned response in a person. this means that a stimulus (a mother’s death) in the environment has produced a behavior (unbridled fear) / response (an aching sense of being alone in the world) which is unlearned (i.e. unconditioned) and therefore is a natural response that has not yet been taught. In this respect, no new behavior has been learned.

this stage also involves another stimulus which has no effect on a person and is called the neutral stimulus. This could be a person (mother), object (car), place (beach), etc. The neutral stimulus in classical conditioning does not produce a response until it is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

the second stage, or during conditioning, a stimulus which produces no response (the beach) is associated with the unconditioned stimulus (a mother’s death) at which point it now becomes known as the conditioned stimulus.

often during this stage the unconditioned stimulus (beach) must be associated with the conditioned stimulus (a mother’s death) on a number of occasions, or trials, for learning to take place (this can include the loop your brain replays of the events).

stage three, or after conditioning, the conditioned stimulus (the beach) has been associated with the unconditioned stimulus (a mother’s death) to create a new conditioned response (an unbridled fear and aching sense of being alone in the world).

the extinction of a conditioned response (fear and abandonment) results from breaking the association between the conditioned stimulus (the beach) and the unconditioned stimulus (a mother’s death).

e.g. when the foxes took Neil to the beach and Andrew held him, shaking, on the wooden steps that were dusted with sand (beach + comfort) or when Matt took Neil deep sea fishing and piggybacked him from the condo onto the boat (beach + laughter with friends) or when Andrew took him to catch sand crabs and smoke under the stars as the waves lapped at the shore, if Neil stared too long at tiki torches on the beach Andrew turned toward the waves, a silent steadying presence, and smoked until Neil ran ahead with the flashlight (beach + reassurance) or when Andrew pushed Neil into the dunes after a chorus of “yes yes yes” and Neil had sandy briefs for a week (beach + intention and love and safety)

or maybe what broke Neil’s conditioned response was seeing a gray haired Andrew walking ahead of him, looking for sea glass to take to Bee’s grave, and knowing that this was what he stayed for all those years ago.


End file.
